The freelance talent pool has grown stronger, a new survey suggests. Nearly seven in 10 (69 per cent) of advertising and marketing executives interviewed by The Creative Group said the calibre of independent creative professionals has increased in the last five years; among those, 22 per cent said it has increased significantly. Respondents cited “access to specialised skills or knowledge” as the greatest benefit of using freelancers. These findings and additional information, including tips for working with freelancers and questions to consider before pursuing a consulting career, are accessible in a new infographic from The Creative Group, a specialised staffing service for interactive, design and marketing professionals.

“Organisations are more often bringing in project professionals to help with heavy workloads or provide specialized skills that don’t exist internally,” said Alicia Brum, branch manager of The Creative Group. “When freelancers are brought in to fill skills gaps, they can impart their knowledge on full-time employees, which is an added bonus for companies.”

The research also shows contract work is an attractive option for many people in the creative industry: Nearly four in 10 (39 per cent) advertising and marketing executives said it’s likely they would work as independent professionals at some point in their career. “Freelancing is becoming a more attractive career option for creative professionals, particularly those with in-demand skills, like web and user experience designers,” Brum said. “These professionals are highly sought by companies of all sizes, and so they generally have more options in choosing what projects they take on and how much they’re paid.”
The research is from a national study developed by The Creative Group and conducted by an independent research firm.It is based on more than 250 telephone interviews — approximately 200 with marketing executives randomly selected from companies with 100 or more employees and 50 with advertising executives randomly selected from agencies with 20 or more employees.